


Fortress

by spiritualmachines



Category: Hanson (Band)
Genre: Angst, First Kiss, Hand Jobs, M/M, Male Slash, POV First Person, Sexual Content, Sibling Incest, Slash
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-03
Updated: 2015-02-03
Packaged: 2019-05-24 13:17:16
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,835
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14955395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/spiritualmachines/pseuds/spiritualmachines
Summary: Excerpt:He had always been there for me when I needed him, and it was my turn to return that favor.Prompt: Date NightPhoto:Click





	Fortress

**Author's Note:**

> *This story is from Zac's POV.

Human nature makes us sensitive to things that indicate danger or disaster. As a parent, you learn to become even _more_ hyper aware of those things when they pertain to your children. For instance, the sound of your child crying rings through the air far more loudly and urgently than that of any other child in distress. Maybe it can be chalked up to sheer instinct; to the need to preserve lineage. Or maybe we are all terrified of failing, and what bigger failure is there than the knowledge that your children are in harm’s way?

However, on that evening, it wasn’t the voice of my child that woke me from the mini coma I’d slipped into around 8PM like a grandpa—it was the voice of my brother’s child. I was up and off the couch before my wife could even put her book down, holding my hand out to let her know that I could take care of it.

“Hey princess, what’s wrong?” I asked.

Taylor’s youngest daughter, Wilhelmina, was weeping in the corner, separated from the other children who were using a sleepover with their cousins as an excuse to stay up past their bedtime. Crouching down, I scooped my tiny niece into my arms. 

She was crying so hard that I couldn’t understand her. She was fairly eloquent for a two-year-old, but with her mostly unintelligible words marked by hiccups and sobs, deciphering their meaning became impossible. Holding her tightly against my chest, I cooed softly into her ear as I tried to calm her down.

“She forgot her teddy bear at home,” Ezra spoke up, not looking away from the video game he was playing.

“Did you forget your teddy, baby girl?” I asked, rubbing her leg and kissing her baby-soft cheeks.

Nodding, she started wailing with renewed vigor, clearly upset by the verbal confirmation that her favorite stuffed animal was nowhere to be found. I smacked a kiss to her forehead before moving out to the living room.

“Katie, will you take her? Uncle Zac needs to go on a teddy recovery mission for the little lady here. I will go break into the house and free teddy so that he is here with little princess for bedtime,” I said, trying to pacify Willa and let Kate know what was going on all at the same time.

After handing her over to Kate, I pulled my shoes on and grabbed my keys, setting out for the drive across town to Taylor’s house. Earlier that evening, he had dropped off Ezra, Viggo, and Willa to spend the night at our house while River and Penny had gone to Isaac’s for the night so that Taylor and Natalie could have a much-needed date night.

With five children, it was more difficult for them to have a night alone than the rest of us, so we didn’t mind offering assistance from time to time. Five children were a lot to take on, so Isaac and I usually split up the “herd” whenever possible, but it really wasn’t as bad as it sounded. Plus, Taylor wasn’t merely my brother; he was my best friend. Helping him out wasn’t an issue, because I knew he would do the same for me.

Upon pulling into the driveway of Taylor’s house, I wasn’t surprised to find it dark. They were probably still at dinner at whatever fancy-schmancy restaurant Taylor had picked out this time. I used the spare key to let myself in, moving through the dark house to the room that Penny and Willa shared. After entering, I stopped abruptly in my tracks.

The bedroom was bathed in darkness, yet I could clearly see a tent made of blankets and sheets. It was hard to miss, considering it was a proper, meticulously constructed fort that took up the entire middle of the room. A glow coming from within illuminated the room in ethereal ways. I began to silently curse Taylor for being so careless and leaving those wiry strings of lights turned on when no one was home; it was a fire hazard, after all. But the sight of his long legs sticking out from beneath the fort’s opening made my heart drop.

Abandoning my search for Wilhelmina’s poor, lost teddy, I lowered myself to the ground and crawled toward the fort. Once inside, I laid down beside Taylor, stretching my body out without speaking as I got comfortable beneath the Christmas lights.

“I like your new digs,” I finally said to break the silence. 

Turning my head to look at him, I raised an eyebrow when I saw that the infamous missing teddy was secured under his right arm. Chuckling, I reached over to give it a soft tug without dislodging it. 

“Willa can’t sleep without him either, you know; like father, like daughter, I suppose,” I said with a grin. “But don’t worry, I won’t tell her that Daddy was holding it hostage.”

My words were teasing and held a dual purpose. Propping myself up on one elbow, I was able to get a better look at him, but I couldn’t quite figure out his mood. He seemed sad, but strangely at peace at the same time. It was times like these that I wished I possessed the ability to mind-read. I studied him for a few more moments before resituating myself beside him. As I did, my hand fell on top of his and I rubbed his fingers gently, immediately noticing the absence of his wedding ring. 

“Correct me if I’m wrong, but don’t dates with your wife usually last longer than an hour? And don’t they usually _include_ her?” 

I tried to keep my voice light and unassuming, but it was hard to conceal my shock at his missing accessory. Unlike me, Taylor always wore his wedding band. 

“Well, considering we had a massive fight before the date even had a chance to _begin_ , I’m flying solo tonight. Apparently, she would rather pour her heart out to her friends instead of me. So after dropping the kids off, she headed off to God knows where with Tracy and Sam, and I wined and dined alone before coming back to the house, hoping she would be here. But she isn’t here, as you can see. She hasn’t even tried to get in touch with me. So I decided to give up and have a slumber party with Rascal here,” he said, glancing down at the teddy bear with a sigh. 

He turned his hand over then, and I thought he was going to pull away, but instead he laced his fingers through mine. 

“When we first met, she told me she used to love making forts growing up, so I set one up earlier today. I thought she would love it. I thought she would truly appreciate the fact that I held onto something she said so many years ago…” he trailed off, his raspy voice thick with disappointment as he gazed up at the makeshift ceiling. “I guess this is what I get for trying to be romantic, huh? Sometimes I think that maybe it’s time to stop trying altogether.” 

As I surveyed my surroundings once again, it was clear to see the effort that Taylor had put forth into making it special. The space was perfect for two adults, and the lighting, pillows, and overall ambiance were enhanced with his charming little touches.

“ _Trying_ to be romantic? Don’t sell yourself short, Tay. This _is_ romantic. I’m sorry that she didn’t appreciate it and that she isn’t here right now,” I said honestly, giving his hand a squeeze before bringing it up to kiss his knuckles. “It takes two to make a relationship work, and it takes two to make one fall apart. I don’t know exactly what’s going on between you guys right now, but whatever it is, you shouldn’t place all of the blame on yourself.”

We were quiet for several long moments, our hushed breathing the only sounds around us.

“You could have called me,” I whispered. “I would have been here in an instant.”

“I know,” he replied, tightening his grip on my hand. 

I closed my eyes, focused on his breathing and I swore I could feel his heart beating through his palm. Taylor was very good at hiding his emotions when he wanted to be strong, but he had always tended to let his guard down with me. Maybe, in a way, he hadn't even needed to call me. I had shown up when he needed me anyway. 

"Do you need a hug?" I asked softly, rolling onto my side to face him without letting go of his hand. 

Maybe it was silly for a grown man to offer a hug to another—especially his _brother_. But Taylor’s kids were obsessed with giving and receiving hugs, and I knew that those apples hadn’t fallen far from the tree. 

His murmured affirmation was barely audible, but I understood it all the same. 

Nudging his hip, I coaxed him onto his side so that I could wrap my arms around him tightly. I pressed my face into his soft hair, breathing him in while hoping to help him relax at least a little bit.

"I've got you," I whispered.

My words seemed to make him go limp, and he collapsed into the embrace without a word. Much like the creation he’d constructed, Taylor himself seemed like a fortress—so strong, so supporting. He acted as if he could handle anything, and it was hard to watch him crumble.

I placed my hand on the back of his head, holding him as close as I could, close enough that I could not only hear, but _feel_ his heart beating. Instead of speaking, I began to hum a familiar tune against his ear. It was an old lullaby that Mom used to sing to us when we were kids; and Taylor had sung it to me many times during our band’s first tour when she wasn’t available. 

He had always been there for me when I needed him, and it was my turn to return that favor. 

“Golden slumbers kiss your eyes, smiles await you when you rise. Sleep, pretty baby, do not cry, and I will sing a lullaby…” 

Maybe, much like the hug I had offered earlier, this was but a meager consolation for the absence of his wife. I had no idea what they were going through, after all. But it was all I could think to do for him in that moment. 

The song that flowed past my lips with ease propelled me back in time, bringing me back to all of those sleepless nights on tour, when I’d felt equal parts excited and scared out of my mind. Playing music for thousands of people each and every night had been an incredible, unforgettable opportunity, but there were times when the traveling, the pressure and the sheer amount of _noise_ nearly broke me. But whenever I faltered, Taylor was always there to hold me up and assure me that I possessed the strength to keep going. 

When I heard him sniffle slightly, I pressed my lips against his cheek in what I hoped was a comforting gesture. I could taste his tears as my mouth stopped them and I placed several more kisses there, tracing the path the salty beads of moisture forged down to his chin.

A single, almost elegant teardrop fell from the corner of his eye, sliding down his smooth cheek and catching on the corner of his lips. Without even thinking, I leaned in to kiss the droplet from his mouth and absorb his pain as my own. It was meant to be a simple show of affection, a reminder that things weren’t as bad as they seemed—but in a matter of seconds, it turned into something so much more than that. 

Taylor responded to the kiss with a hunger and desperation that took my breath away. I tightened my grip on his hair, seized by a sudden rush of desire. I’d never thought of Taylor as anything more than my sibling and best friend, but I couldn’t deny the overwhelming _need_ I felt when he began to kiss me back. 

He placed his ringless hand on my thigh, his thumb grazing circles on the denim of my jeans, and I felt myself growing hard beneath his touch. I wasn’t sure what he was thinking, or how things had progressed to this point, or why we were letting it happen. All I knew was that I didn’t want to stop. 

The taste of his mouth was sweet, familiar, and thrilling all at the same time. Taylor had been inspiring me for years, but this was something new entirely. It was as if I hadn’t really known what it felt like to be wanted until that moment. His lips were opening me up to a new way of feeling—a new way of _living_.

Instinct made me grind my hips against his, a groan slipping out of its own accord. Maybe it was that Taylor was my brother, and that what we were doing was wrong on so many different levels, but this was hotter than any intimate exchange I’d shared with Kate. In fact, it was hotter than anything I had ever done before.

When his hands moved to undo my jeans, I didn’t feel even the slightest apprehension. In fact, I kissed him harder as he curled his calloused fingers around me, giving my erection a firm tug that let me know he wasn’t having any second thoughts either. 

“Oh god,” I moaned, tilting my head back as I trembled with pleasure. 

It only took me a moment to recover from the feeling of his hand expertly sliding against me, and once I did, I was struck with the need to know what _he_ felt like. His tight jeans were no match for my eager fingers as they made quick work of the buttons and zipper confining his impressive length. 

I had never touched another man’s dick before (my own didn’t count), but strangely enough, I didn’t feel out of my depth at all as I stroked him. I suppose love and desire are just as much a part of human nature as danger and fear—which is why I couldn’t deny my craving. Truth be told, it was more than a craving. Pleasing him was part of who I was. I never thought I would ever please him in such a blatantly _sexual_ way, but life is always full of surprises. And knowing that I was capable of making him feel good was a turn-on in itself. 

Our moans harmonized together the way that our voices had done for years, filling the fortress he had built with the intention of having a romantic date night. While I was sure _this_ was not what he had in mind when constructing the elaborate maze of lights and blankets, I _was_ sure that this was what he needed. What we _both_ needed. And oddly enough, as our eyes met just moments before I released, it felt romantic. 

“I love you,” I breathed out.

My body jerked of its own volition and I pressed my mouth to his once more, spilling into his palm as my own hand worked faster against him. He came almost instantly thereafter, his tongue touching mine as he let go. Once we were both spent, the kiss broke as naturally as it had begun. Resting his forehead against mine, Taylor took in a deep breath before letting it out slowly.

“I love you, too,” he replied, his cheeks glowing fiercely beneath the lights that hung above us. “Probably a little more than I should.” 

His words should have frightened me, but they didn’t. In actuality, they made perfect sense to me because I felt it, too. Our lips touching had unleashed something from deep within that had been waiting for the right moment to be set free.

“That makes two of us,” I confessed.

After exhaling what sounded like a sigh of relief, he reached for my hand and proceeded to thread his fingers through mine again.

“Where do we go from here?” he asked.

“Well, I promised Willa I would return her little Rascal to her before bedtime, so I should head back home soon. You’re more than welcome to come with me, though. Kate will probably go to bed early, but we can stay up, watch movies, make popcorn, have a few beers… whatever you want,” I said.

A thoughtful look crossed his features and he gave my hand a squeeze, mimicking my earlier motion as he brushed his lips against my knuckles. 

“I appreciate it, but I think I need to be alone tonight. Maybe when things settle down a little, we can have… another date night?” he suggested, a hopeful glimmer in his eyes.

“I’d really like that,” I replied with a smile.


End file.
